The Identical Pair of Mischief and Madness
by Kokoneos
Summary: The Doctor's 14th regeneration has gone terribly wrong. He has regenerated into a boy and even less likely, has spawned a copy. Now, both unsure as to whether or not they even are each the Doctor or if one is a facade, they must press onward in a rather unlikely series of impossible affairs.
1. Chapter 1 The Impossible Occurrence

The Identical Pair of Mischief and Madness

 _a Doctor Who Fan Fiction_

Chapter 1

The Impossible Occurrence that Happened Twice

Fire licked the ends of the Doctor's coat. His nose flared and sharply stole air only to banish the remains. He was alone as he ran for his life down the corridors, save for a device tucked under his arm. It beeped the rate of a heartbeat, and though it was otherwise inanimate, he coaxed it as though he cradled a sentient being. His own hearts beat double time, pushing his body to access every ounce of energy it had available. There was also a shovel that would never had been noticed if it were not grasped so tightly in his hand. His feet flew, yet the raging terror behind him grew more powerful. Stupid, disobedient, trigger-happy pyromaniac.

Bracing for impact, he flung himself out a window, sending him crashing into the alien foliage below. He rolled a good few paces, losing the device and the shovel in the process. As soon as he could, he scrambled to his feet and began searching through the thick of the jungle-like forest.

"Can you hear me?! Where are you?!" he hollered, but received no response. He grew quiet as he shuffled through the plants. Then quite faintly, he could hear the beeping and crestfallen, he realized that it had flatlined. His hearts broke.

"Oh..." he cooed in his deep gravely voice, "It's going to be one of those days, is it? When everybody dies?"

With a new walk, one of a man without mercy, he quietly looked for his shovel. It did not take him long, for it was not far away. He took it and swinging erect a black plant flashed open its blossom, shooting venomous barbs into the Doctor's neck. In pain, he stumbled backward a step, and very gingerly he pulled it out to examine it. He looked back at the vivid purple and yellow bloom.

"Did you seriously think that was a good idea? Sure a human being would have died in ten seconds but I... I am not a human." he tossed the barb aside and walked toward the plant, "If this were a game of chess, you would have just now cornered your king. I've lost everything, even my own life. So killing you, I risk nothing. Maybe if you had spared one of my friends today, I would be too scared to confront you or if you let me live I would be inclined to preserve my own life. But now you can count on me coming to meet you face to face."

With no more hesitation, he swung his shovel against the stem, cutting it. Then he took hold of it and uprooted it. The flower withered and shriveled, absent of life. Done with his deed, he took his shovel and walked onward through the jungle, ignoring the pain of the venom that was slowly taking root in his own blood.

It was a short walk to the source, the plant was still too young to have taken over a large area of land. He stood at the top of the hill to look down at a clearing. It was a meadow of the same flower, and only that flower. The black plants had their flowers closed, waiting for some unsuspecting creature to come close enough to be killed and feasted upon. In the center of the deadly meadow, was what looked like a small, troll-like tree with one eye resting at the very top. Their eyes met and the Doctor began walking through the meadow, the flowers each shooting their barbs at him. Many of them hit him but it did not seem to make a difference. He walked right up to the voiceless creature and it glared down at him. He struck the shovel into the ground and dug it out. The plant, cut off from its roots, began to wriggle as it shriveled. All of the surrounding flowers fell down flat. The Doctor shuffled around stiffly, then his demeanor flipped, a forced smile on his face as he applauded the plant.

"Well done! Well done! So few things are as stupid as you are! You couldn't stop eating, could you? Couldn't even bear to be neighbors with the grass! Well I've had enough of you!" he tore a leaf off and the plant curled like a wounded spider. "You will never harm anyone again! And as for your planet; oh I'll pay it a visit one day. But don't worry, I'm not like you. I don't destroy absolutely everything in my way. I will lock up the planet so tight that not another petal will find its way into orbit. Who knows, maybe your kind will find another solution to a problem that doesn't involve eating it. Or, you know, maybe they won't. Maybe they'll just eat each other."

The eye rolled back and it was clear the plant was dead. The Doctor threw the shovel and the leaf aside with disgust and began walking away. His eyes looked dead ahead, the events that just past coursing through his mind. He was the only survivor left on the moon, everyone else died. Three of the deceased, were his friends. And possibly before he could return to his Tardis, he would be dead as well. One of those barbs would have killed him in a day, but the added doses of the venom rendered his end much sooner. He could feel it all over his body already, and the regeneration process had already started. The Doctor's walk grew more crippled, and his breathing became less steady.

"I hope Clara won't be too mad at me," he said aloud, "She likes everything to always stay the same. No-Fun-Clara, she is. But, I suppose, I could say I tried my best... to last a little longer."

His eyes were bloodshot and he could feel his body rising in temperature. Staggering, he saw the familiar blue box. Just a bit further. He needed just moments to reach it.

"I hope that the eyebrows are a little more rational.. And maybe we could, you know..." he gestured to his face, "a little more... something-"

He fell to the ground, his hearts anxious to reach the Tardis before his end. The Doctor coughed, feeling his throat swell and his vision became blurry.

"Could I possibly get a face that people will listen to?" his voice was hoarse as he tried to pull himself forward, his head, heavy dragged in the dirt, "That would be nice."

The Tardis was out of his reach, he could feel himself at the very edge. The Doctor was a stubborn man and he forced himself to his feet nonetheless. Eyes focused on the Tardis, he tried to make himself walk. A chill ran down his spine as he noticed a small, gray figure standing beside the Tardis. How he was not alone could not be answered, but it saw him as soon as he saw it.

It began to run towards him and the Doctor threw up his arms, "No! Stay back!"

He felt the small figure hit him and then all he could sense was a raging fire that engulfed his very being. He was deaf to his own scream as every fiber in his body died, burnt away until it was as though it was never there. Then he felt his body stretch and ache, born anew in a violent way. Released, he stumbled onto his back. His senses fresh and perfect, a brand new life sent stumbling to be, laughing on account of the sudden and new energy he now possessed.

But his own laugh stopped him in his tracks, hands slapped onto his smooth cheeks.

"I'm a girl?!" his high pitched voice gasped, but another had said it as well. He turned to see a pale, blond boy with wide peaky brown eyes staring at him with such a fright. The Doctor must be short as well as female, for the lad who couldn't be a day older than twelve was also the same height as he.

"Who are you?" they both asked and they both replied, "I'm the Doctor!"

Their voices were in perfect unison, identical in every way. With a gasp they both looked down at themselves. They were both wearing clothes that matched what the previous Doctor wore. They were both young boys, and they were both the Doctor.


	2. Chapter 2 Seven and Seven

Chapter 2

Seven and Seven

"I'm the Doctor." they each pointed at themselves, then at the other, "But that's impossible!"

"No one has ever regressed to this young of an age before!" one of them proclaimed.

"I know, but another rarity; do you suppose the figure caused another biological meta crisis?"

"I'd like to say that it's impossible but frankly, considering how very impossible it is for us both to be here and to be so young, I can't say at the moment. We may have accidentally discovered that it is possible to make a duplicate of oneself during regeneration, or it is possible that one of us is not really the Doctor. Either way, something has gone wrong and I suggest we move on into the Tardis where we are far less vulnerable to discuss it further." The Doctor started for the Tardis, followed by the other Doctor. The Tardis gave neither of them trouble entering, which encouraged that idea that perhaps they did accidentally duplicate themselves. One of them sat down, rolling up his pant legs while the other began pacing.

"I don't like this, I feel entirely uneasy. Like a child again." the pacing one said.

"Do you think that we should go visit Clara?"

"Eventually, I believe we should. Though I'm not impatient to see her reaction toward our current state." the pacing one tripped over his pant legs, "Do you think she'll pinch our cheeks or something?"

They both cringed. Somehow Clara no longer seemed to be so little, more like an annoying aunt er, well, she is a teacher after all.

"It really isn't such a terrible accident, I feel an absurd amount of energy." the one sitting smiled, then his smile faded as he recalled the figure. He felt intimidated by the memory of it. "Something has gone wrong though. Perhaps the figure was destroyed by the fires of our regeneration. Perhaps… one of us is the figure."

"Don't remind me." the Doctor sat next to his twin, "We've certainly stepped into quite the puzzle."

The first turn of events was to shake the previous incarnation's oversized clothing. They both wore breeches, one black the other brown. One opted for suspenders and the other sported a belt. The first put on a dark, gray collared shirt with a black vest and tie. The second put on a dark blue shirt with a brown jacket. They looked in the mirror, examining their faces.

"We are entirely identical." one said, poking his pale face.

"And entirely not ginger." the other combed his blond hair.

With one final look-over, they started down the hallway, feeling as though the Tardis was a bit larger on the inside than before. In truth, they were only littler.

"And we wished for a face people would listen to." one of them laughed.

"I am the oncoming storm..." the other tried to sound dangerous but they both supposed it would take more than words to scare away the Daleks now.

One of them hunched over rather suddenly, the regeneration process still cooking in his body. The other held him up, and walked him to the control room. They played it off as a matter worthy of no concern but they were both tense.

"Lets go… I don't want to be on this planet a moment longer." the one having a poorer time was starting to sweat. His twin turn and ran to the control panel. Some of the switches were now out of his reach but he didn't consider this until after he started to move the old girl.

The engines revved, only to sputter and die when he failed to reach a button. He fell to the ground, his companion curling into the fetal position. He coughed, looking terribly ill.

"Are you alright?" his better-off friend ran to his side.

"No, not really." the boy clutched his stomach.

The Doctor gave him a quick nod, leaving the other Doctor on the floor, scrambled to find something to be a foot stool for him. The Tardis was in mid-flight and he needed to land her properly or she could slip off to anywhere in time and space. He began his second attempt to fly her, but couldn't climb around the console quickly enough. They were crashing, again.

He reached for a knob and his entire body went rigid with pain. He was feeling the consequence of a poorly executed regeneration process as well. They both saw what was going on so they both gritted their teeth and bore the pain. Staggering, they pulled themselves closer and together they began to fly the machine. Sparks shot out and smoke began billowing from below as the gears ground in a great terror. One of them fell back onto the door which swung open, leaving him dangling for dear life as the city of London swirled beneath them. The both of them screamed, each moment seemed to make the task of landing the Tardis less likely. The Doctor who remained upon the console, unwound one arm to switch a lever than would adjust the Tardis' position so that the open door would be above them as opposed to below. His fingers brushed against it, arm straining to stretch further. He peeled his cheek from the time rotor and stretched out. That tingly feeling one gets when dangling from a great height clearly informed him that he was in danger, but it didn't stop him from thrusting the lever down. To a much closer task, he began turning a wheel that accomplished what he desired. Unfortunately for the Doctor in peril, the door shut with him still outside.

"Hang on!" The Doctor yelled, still regaining control of his box.

Very clumsily, he slowed it down, and as carefully as he could with a machine not design for flying, landed it. As soon as it stopped, the Doctor ran out the door, seeking his other half- so to speak.

"Doctor?!" he called, looking around. Then with a gasp, he found him hanging in a tree nearby.

"Lets not do that again..." he swung his legs, looking for a branch to stand on.

They had landed outside of London, sometime in the 1960s. The Doctor on the ground began scoping out their surroundings. They were in the country-side. There were no houses nearby so far as the eye could see. Good. They needed space and privacy to recollect themselves.

"I'm going in to work on the Tardis." he called up to his twin in the tree. The Doctor above nodded, reaching a branch that would help him down. With each of them alone with their thoughts, it was almost as though they were each back to normal. Their minds began processing their options, and they both decided that it was a very strong possibility that one of them was a fake but did not know. They did have new faces, but neither could find deceit in the others eyes so even though unspoken was their conclusion, they agreed upon it. Though.. to make such a perfect copy, memories and all. They had to have used the power of a regeneration to do it so fast. Was it accidental, or was it purposeful? Or did the figure merely die once it reached contact, and its interference caused the Doctor to split into two life forms? Time was a key to solving their puzzle. Eventually, if there was a scheme, it would play out. If not, then they may very well continue on with their lives as two people instead of one.

The Doctor, now out of the tree, paused to think a bit before he followed himself into the Tardis. The other Doctor was fast at work, trying to get the Tardis to lower the control panel but was meeting with resistance. It materialized a footstool with wheels.

"Come, now." the Doctor kicked the gift away, "With every regeneration, you know I might want to make a few adjustments."

"Need a hand?" the Doctor smiled, "Though, I shouldn't wonder if we do make these adjustments, we won't hear our new companions say, 'it's bigger on the inside!', instead they'll say, 'what an adorable closet!'"


	3. Chapter 3 Pestiferous, Plucky Pendleton

Chapter 3

Pestiferous, Plucky Pedleton

"She is the most absurd child that I have ever taught!" Professor Harding said to his comrade in frustration. "Attempting to reason and argue in favor of idle fantasies! Doors opening to far away places, she must have read too many of C.S. Lewis' books to open such a discussion!"

Professor Stewart chuckled absently, giving very little attention to the matter. Children were not a mystery he found engaging, he preferred, instead, to think of the school nurse. Particularly how her hips swung as she walked. Professor Harding prompted him for an opinion, so half heartedly, he gave one, "Children don't like it when you don't play along."

"A classroom isn't a place for games!"

"But she is a child, dear man. Until someone instructs her to understand otherwise, all places are as good as any for games." he was irritated that Professor Harding was so insistent in having this conversation.

But Professor Harding was quiet at that remark, and that drew Professor Stewart's attention. A smirk slipped onto his face as humility filled his coworker's.

"She won the argument, didn't she?" he instantly found favor in the girl.

"I, well-em," Professor Harding struggled, then he puffed out a stiff sigh, "Anything is possible if you deal in hypothetical situations. If you suppose one thing to be true, something that isn't could be."

His excuse was met with a laugh. Angry, he twitched his nose and pressed his lips firmly together.

"Look here, old boy, you clearly have a clever youth who is entirely bored with your class. Give her a challenge. A side project. Something so that she doesn't have to rely on childish fantasies to keep herself from falling asleep." Professor Stewart patted Harding on the back, trying to cheer his mood.

"I would- but… well it's hard to know what she does and doesn't know." Professor Harding confessed.

"How so?"

"For instance, Her arithmetic is wonderful! Well, erm, depending on the unit of measure." Professor Harding was gratified by the curious look upon Stewart's face, "When she first came here she was oblivious to our currencies."

Professor Stewart unknowingly became engrossed with the subject there. What an odd thing to be unfamiliar with. Aware that he had obtained Stewart's full attention, Professor Harding wanted to express himself further, "Her science is particularly well versed. She's more studious on the subject than I, admittedly, so she should clearly be interested in the subject. One would think she would be paying close attention to scientific accomplishments. That she of all people would be aware of the fact that the Americans have successfully landed on the moon. When I informed her, she was unimpressed."

"She didn't know about the moon landing?" they came to a stop, having reached Professor Harding's classroom.

"Mark my words; Lisa Pendleton is strikingly abnormal and is entirely unpredictable. The headmaster ignores my comments, but if we remain silent, I believe we will regret it." Professor Harding shook his finger, then entered his classroom. All of his students were already present, and Professor Stewart stole a glance at Pendleton who was staring back at him. Their gaze remained until the door closed.


	4. Chapter 4 The Ghost of Saint Mary's

Chapter 4

The Ghost of Saint Mary's

Still feeling particularly unwell, the two Doctors fell fast asleep in the process of their project. Soundly they snored, possibly in a deeper sleep than either of them have had in a while. Their subconscious thoughts and dreams seemed to slip over to the children of Gallifrey, twisting into terrible nightmares so vivid that they could remember how the smoke and death smelled the eve of their defeat. Their dreams were similar, however not identical. It truly seemed that they were indeed the same person whose thoughts slowly built two separate characters, as though two parallel lives could be seen unfolding and separating side by side.

Their breathing was steady, and every once in a while, little puffs of golden light would emerge from their lips. Ancient, were the thoughts that appeared in their sleeping minds. Old faces, unseen for so many years, were playing back in their minds. Their minds shook off the dust of distant memories and they both remembered.

Old acquaintances whose fates were unbeknownst to either of them. What happened to them, they wondered. Were they taken in the fires of war? Or was it even possible, that they were alive today in some remote part of the universe?

One of them stirred, the Doctor's eyes were heavy. His own body was shifting and settling. The last few bolts were screwing into place. Stepping outside, he looked around the gloomy pasture. The air was moist and it was almost sprinkling. His mind began to dive into a deep thought when he stopped himself.

"Seems as though I think more like an old man than I do a child." he looked around with disapproval, "Have I ever been so still?"

The wind rustled the trees, the Doctor looked around some more. Just taking in all of the scenery, despite it being of no extraordinary consequence.

Then it was like fingers running down his back. It was like hungry eyes were on him. The hairs on the back of his neck were erect and his eyes searched, expecting to find something terrible and frightening. When he spotted it, he almost didn't believe it. A man, tall and pale, stood in the far distance very, undoubtedly still. Although he was too far away for his face to be visible, the Doctor knew that their stare was locked tight.

At first he did not hear the music playing so close to his ears, but his mind drew attentive to it. It was so close to him, but it was also so far away. It played externally, but also within his thoughts. It seemed to overtake his reasoning and considerations. His whole demeanor relaxed and subconsciously, he began walking toward the figure.

"Say! Doctor!" the other Doctor emerged from the Tardis rather cheerfully, "What do you think about going to visit- Doctor?"

The Doctor's mind snapped back to the present like a rubber band. Blinking, the stranger was gone, as was the music. The memory was still there, although considerably faded with the exception of the image of the colorfully dressed character in the distance. He turned to the other Doctor.

"Actually, shall we stay for a bit. Something here isn't quite right."

He found no arguments from his twin, only a listening ear. So they only dallied to lock up the Tardis before they walked toward signs of civilization. In actuality, just over the hill, past the cluster of trees by a well of seemingly no importance, was a charity home for children. They inspected it as they approached it. It did not belong to any company of charity homes, but it was quite the estate.

When the two drew near, they happened upon a group of children playing ring around the rosies, when they all fell down, one child didn't seem to want to. Her face was all puffy and red as though she had been crying.

"There, now Pole, we've all been playing your favorite game. Cheer up, now won't you?" a tall, gangly boy wiped her eyes.

"There's no point in cheering her up," another boy sighed heavily, "She'll be gone by the morrow."

The girl crumpled into sobs. The tall boy looked as though he were itching to slug the other. Some of the other children started to comfort the crying one but the others stayed away.

"Where will she go?" the Doctor asked, dusting off his pants after climbing over the wall.

The children all looked at the two of them, eyes bearing a terrible secret. Their mouths were closed and they were as cold as statues. But their coldness was not in cruelty, it seemed to stem from fear more than anything. Fear of something. That stranger, one Doctor supposed.

"It's none of your business," one of the kids stepped forward, bearing a fist, "Go home to your mum if you know whats good for yah."

Neither of the Doctors could resist the urge to chuckle, they stood their ground- challenging the boy's threat. He stepped forward, as though he was about to make another when a girl stopped him.

"It's the curse." she said hauntingly, "Anita Pole has been cursed."

"Cursed..." the Doctor repeated, stepping forward, "How so?"

"It's the man, the tall, thin man." she continued, as though she were telling scary story by a campfire, "He comes for the Children of Saint Mary's. Once you've seen him, you disappear."

The Doctors looked at each other. Eyes silently telling each other plans and intentions in a matter of a moment. One of them stepped over to the sniffling girl and with one hand on her shoulder and a comforting smile on his face he said, "Don't worry, you won't disappear on my watch."

"You didn't even know about the curse until a moment ago," the older girl went over to him, eyebrows arching, "Nobody can run away from it."

"Well! Running away from things is what we do best." the other Doctor smiled, "How about you tell us the whole story?"

As the words exited his mouth, it became apparent there was no time for the whole story. The adults came and every child seemed to be legally gagged to not say a word of the matter to any of them. Every single one of them acted as though everything was perfectly fine, and when prompted about the tearful Pole, they lied and said she had been stung by a nettle. Well, except for a girl they came to know as Ruth. She was quite plain about the entire situation. To every lie the children told, she countered with the truth. And the Doctors noted that the adults did not seem inclined to hear her. It seemed as though she was acutely aware of the situation but because it was so spectacularly abnormal, the adults didn't believe her. Instead, they instructed her to not to cry wolf.

The Doctors were wanted to return to their homes, but with the assistance of with the psychic paper, they were able to convince the adults that they were meant to be at the orphanage as volunteers. When asked for their names, they knew they couldn't introduce themselves as the Doctor and maintain their covert affair.

At once they replied, "John!"

Then stumbling, one caught the fumble, "I mean, he's John. I'm… Adam."

"John" and "Adam" went with the children on their little field trip, and with the adults present, they were unwilling to talk. And unfortunately, they couldn't get close enough to Ruth to discuss anything with her. It was strange, the children were so closely watched and well controlled, it was hard to believe that they would have such a significant difficulty with disappearances. But it was verified by the adults that they had a "runaway" problem.

The children were to stop by a lakeside and were instructed to begin painting with watercolors. The art professor, with a book in one hand, left to read her book in peace. Finally, the Doctors knew that they could continue to ask questions.

"So how does the curse work exactly?" Adam peered over Ruth's shoulder.

"The tall man takes whosoever sees him. Always at night and always within a fortnight." she stopped painting to look at him, "He's a ghost of the man who lived here before. Hates kids, and he doesn't like us being here. He wants us gone."

"Does he now?" John said more to himself, "How do you know?"

"It's what Daniel told me, before he disappeared." Ruth looked down her nose at her canvas.

"Has anyone seen someone actually be taken?"

"One, but _I_ think she's lying." Ruth seemed to lose interest.

"Who?"

"Lisa Pendleton." Ruth used her paintbrush to point at a fellow student, seeming unhappy that the conversation led to Pendleton. "Don't believe a word she says. She's thirsty for attention and will do anything for it. I haven't liked her ever since she came here."

"So if you don't believe a word she says, and she's the only who has seen someone be taken, how do you know they aren't simply just running away, like the professors say?" John made a point that Ruth did not want to hear being made. Coldly she turned away.

"Well I have a gift. I can see who is going to be next." Ruth flicked her hair off her shoulder, she was intent on finding herself on a pedestal taller than Lisa's. She looked at John, "Better be careful where you look. He's coming for you."

Close, was her estimate. But it held no dice, "Adam" was the Doctor who had encountered this "ghost." With hardly another word they both shuffled off, on their way to Pendleton to hear what she had to say. It was possible that she fancied a scary story as much as Ruth did, but seeing as the Doctor had indeed seen something that was unsettling and probably alien, they wanted to investigate.

The taller boy, Austen, pulled them aside for a little talk. His obnoxious friend behind him tried to do the talking but Austen shushed him. John pulled his arm free and remained, ready to listen.

"Quit asking about it around the smaller kids." he whispered seriously, looking at either of them, "You're scaring them."

Taking a glance around themselves, they noticed that some of the kids were staring at them with the same pale, frightened expression as before. Adam straightened his jacket.

"Do you believe in the ghost?" he leaned in, and just by looking the boy Austen in the eyes, he could tell he did. Even though the boy mustered every ounce of maturity to look like he didn't before the other children. John quietly added, "Austen, there are very particular times in life where we do not mimic adults. Look around you. Those in charge won't notice until it's too late. Right now you have people who are alive and counted for. Take charge and prevent this curse before the adults wake up to the situation. A bird sees a cat approaching he doesn't ignore it, he flies away."

Austen and his friend were solemn as they listened. Intently their ears heard the Doctor's every word. For one of the very first times in their lives, they realized that their lives may actually be in their own hands. And somehow, even though it was clear that their well being was not in the hands of grownups, they no longer felt helpless.


	5. Chapter 5 Stolen from the Library

Chapter 5

Stolen from the Library

Sleeping for seven hours or so was a feat neither of the Doctors were accustomed to succeeding. But orphan children living in a charity home run by strict, wealthy Catholics could not shirk bedtime even if one of them had psychic paper. So tossing and turning in a lumpy, squeaky bed, the two tried very hard to be still and quiet well enough that someone would believe that they were asleep. When, at last, the house was quiet and not bearing an angry nun who now believed that "John" and "Adam" were nothing more than ornery hooligans, which we have to admit is quite possibly true, the two boys had fallen prey to a sleep of boredom. Their precious, unsupervised hours were slipping away minute by minute.

Fortunately, their sleep did not last long, and the blackness never came to dreams. They were startled awake, hands over either of their mouths so they wouldn't scream. It was only Austen and his friend with a lit candle, not a malicious, kidnapping alien. They both relaxed.

"I don't recall ever being so jumpy." one Doctor, under the guise of Adam stretched his back.

"Tommy and I have been thinking about what you said. So we're having a meeting in the library. Right now." Austen said in a hushed voice, "I don't know much about you but even though it should be mad what you say, it sort of makes sense. We need to do something before Pole is lost too."

Proudly, the Doctors looked at each other. How very impressionable young people are! Already they took on the initiative to save their own lives when before they were perfectly willing to wait and let whatever-it-was pick them off one at a time.

Up onto their feet, the four boys quietly made their way to the Library where Ruth and Anita were waiting. Considering that Ruth herself, although unwilling, mentioned that Lisa might have a little use for the mystery, the Doctors were both a little surprised that she was not there. They expressed their surprise almost right away.

"Lisa has nothing to do with it." Ruth insisted, though her word carried little water for everyone could see her dislike for the girl. Despite this, the other children seemed to be in favor of Ruth's petty comment.

"She's two faced." Austen spoke for her, "She says the craziest things to the adults, sometimes in agreement with what we have seen, sometimes not. But with us, she's stricter than Sister Anne Maria. Bosses us around, tells us to keep our feet on the ground and the whole ghost thing is nonsense."

"No matter," John shook the subject aside, it wasn't the reason for the meeting in the first place. Thunder rumbled in the background as he paced 'round to Ruth. "Let us begin by saying everything we _know._ Then we can move onto suppositions."

"What are sup-o-sup-o..?" Anita asked, and Adam came over to her to pat her on the head.

"Things that we don't know for a fact, but we believe may be true." he smiled, and the girl cooed, "O-ooh.."

"I don't know if we do know _anything._ " Austen felt a little lost, not sure how to attack the puzzle first, "The only person in the room to have seen this man is Anita and we won't know how she disappears unless she does, which we don't want to happen."

"Very bright," John grinned, "Very few men ever admit to not knowing anything."

"You know… sometimes I could swear you were an adult." Austen shook his head.

"People used to accuse us of acting like children." Adam laughed, and John added, "Even we have done so!"

Now the children in the room were all staring with unsettled eyes and they considered the twins' sanity.

"But you did name one thing we do know," the Adam looked around the room, "Anita has seen, with her own eyes, this man. And I'll add that I myself, saw him earlier today."

All eyes were on him, eyes gawking like they were looking at a corpse. A mixture of shock and of horror, of apprehension and of fear that they would be next.

"I'm so sorry..." Austen breathed. There were no other words to describe his feelings now.

"Don't be. We'll solve this mystery sooner if we would begin." Adam walked over to the books to absently read the titles, "Interestingly enough, you don't see it at first. No. Before you see it with your eyes you already know it's there. The hairs on the back of your neck stand up and your entire body warns you of danger. Finally directing your eyes to see the predator. It's like hypnosis from there on. The intense grapple of his stare numbs your mind, distracting it with a lullaby that only you can hear. Then, without pondering the danger of it all, you step forward. Toward the devil himself."

"But it doesn't take you with its initial hold." John realized, he walked over to Adam, "Why does it give you a taste before it takes you? Why does it warn you?"

"Maybe it's cruel." Ruth's tone was dramatic again as she sat down, both of the Doctors decided that she would be better suited narrating adventures instead of living them out, "Maybe it is the Devil, coming to take us to hell."

"Anita, what stopped you from going with the man before?" John hurried over to her, ignoring Ruth's commentary, The little girl paled a bit remembering the incident.

"My tummy growled." she looked up to the young boy, his face briefly illuminated by lightening, "Then the tall man was gone."

"You were distracted." Adam pointed out, then to himself he recalled that he was as well. "Quite easily, too. It seems as intense the bond is, it is easily broken."

"But no one has seen him twice." Tommy shook his head, "Only the first time, then BAM! They disappear."

"Tommy, that doesn't mean anything." Ruth rolled her eyes, but one of the Doctors pointed right at him. A smile on his face.

"No! Tommy is right. No one has seen him twice. Somehow the bond is stronger the second time. Now, if he were perfecting the kidnapping technique, he would learn to use his stronger bond the first time to acquire the children immediately. There must be a reason why he waits." John hoped someone would suggest a plausible reason, but everyone was quiet, "Come on! We can figure this out! Any idea! It doesn't have to seem perfectly sensible!"

But everyone was quiet. The human children could think of no reason beyond meanness and the Time Lord children were puzzling over possible scientific reasons. Nothing really seemed to fit. And so the two of them tried to think of it at a different angle, that perhaps it wasn't the creature that was growing stronger but perhaps the child growing weaker.

"Why does it always come at night?" the Doctor puzzled, the other Doctor mused, "Could it be that a duller mind is easier to take?"

"Entirely possible." the first one nodded, "In fact, that is likely a contributing factor."

"Have… you done this before?" Austen's eyes shifted to either of them, Tommy watched them suspiciously. "Who are you two? Really?"

The two Doctors shuffled, uncomfortable. Was it so obvious? Well, perhaps hiding over a thousand years of experience was more difficult to do than they assumed. They were concocting a lie when Ruth let out a blood curdling scream. Whipping their head around to see what had transpired, they saw Ruth standing petrified and pointing at little Anita as she walked slowly toward a terrifying figure looming outside the window. They were three stories above the ground, and the colorfully dressed figure _had no face._

Lighting flashed and thunder crashed, but it was drowned out by an eerily soothing song performed by a disembodied flute-like instrument. Wind from the storm thrust the windows open and the figure reached out for Anita, who in turn reached out for him. Everyone's mind seemed to shut off, Adam's mind even more so than the others. He began walking toward the figure as well. The only one who was not entirely subdued was John, for he became distracted by the banging on the library door.

The door blasted open, startling the children. In came Lisa Pendleton, racing past the confused crowd. Her arms flung out, her fingers traced Anita's back but Anita had taken hold of the faceless man's hand. A lightening ball erupted from their grasp and in a brilliant flash of light, both the Pied Piper and little Anita Pole disappeared. Everyone's senses were still convoluted, but they were brought back to reality upon hearing Lisa cry out in utter desperation, terrorized by her own failed rescue.


	6. Chapter 6 Goonies

Chapter 6

Goonies

"What in the name of Heaven?!" Sister Anne Mary came bumbling in, still adjusting her hat. Her cheeks were red and there were circles under her eyes as she squinted in the sudden light. Professor Harding, Professor Stewart, and the Headmaster were close behind her.

Every child was silent in their shock, all staring at Lisa, who was on her knees with her backs to them. They could hear distressed sobs.

"Anita is gone." one of the Doctors looked to the adults, "You should know, something has taken her."

"Something?" Sister Anne Mary questioned, whereas Professor Harding massaged his brow, "Go search for the girl, if you can't find her, send for the police. She may have run off like the others."

"She hasn't run away!" Lisa turned around, her face was dry and her eyes were cold. Furious, she stomped right up to the Professor, "I keep telling you and you won't listen! How many more lives do you want to be responsible for?! Shut this place down, now!"

Quite suddenly, Professor Harding drew back his hand and slapped Lisa smartly on the cheek.

"Professor Harding!" Sister Anne Mary expressed her disapproval with a serious tone.

"That is enough, girl!" Professor Harding ignored the sister's exclamation, he grappled Lisa's shoulders and looked sternly into her eyes. "The idle fantasies you create are a mockery of a very serious situation. A little girl has run away. Do not, and I will repeat myself only once more, _do not_ agitate the matter further. If you do know where she or any of the other children are, tell me but spare me your lies."

"That is adequate, Professor." the headmaster looked over his glasses at them. Professor Harding released her, then, recomposing himself, he muttered, "As for the rest of you, if you know what has transpired please inform an adult. Otherwise, to bed with all of you."

Silently, all of the children began their march, meek and mild. The Doctors hesitated, considering the matter. One of them started for the door and the other pulled out his physique paper.

"Hold on one minute, I think we have quite a bit more to sort out yet," he said, holding it up for the adults to see, "Detective Smith at your service. My brother and I are both here concerning the disappearances of the children."

"Let me see that," Professor Stewart ripped the physique paper from his hand, his eyebrows raised and he looked at either of them. His brown eyes shifted to the others, "It's true."

"Child detectives?!" Sister Anne Mary objected, but Professor Stewart forwarded the lying paper to her. She dropped her jaw to speak, but closed it when she realized that there was nothing she could think to say.

The paper was returned to the Doctors, the adults seemed terribly uneasy and unsure.

"We were given this case under the belief that there may be a child predator involved." John pipped in, "It seems whoever it is, he seems to be alluding the adults in this scenario. We were sent to solve the case, perhaps even lure the man so that he may be caught red handed."

"We will need your full cooperation." Adam nodded eagerly, stepping beside his twin. "Anita's kidnapping was very recent, if we maintain our investigation and do not break until daylight, we may yet save her."

"What do you need us to do?" Professor Stewart asked,

"Listen, and be ready to help us catch a faceless, pied crook."

The adults stood still, clearly unsure if they would submit to this authority they previously were unaware of. But the pressing issue of Anita's disappearance encouraged them to obey.

"Professors, Headmaster, Sister," Adam addressed each of them, "We six children have each witnessed was a faceless man, outside that very window, reach in and steal Anita Pole."

"But what _I_ want to know, is what exactly happened to that door." John pointed at the remains of the strong old oak door. He hopped over, and picked up a charred piece. "Well! That's a lie. Truthfully, I know you blew it open, Lisa, but what I _really_ want to know, is what you have to do with this kidnapper."

All eyes turned to Lisa and the brunette was not expectant of their gaze. They all got a glimpse of the fear in her eyes before she covered it with a false expression. She could see accusation in many of their eyes and she stiffened against it.

"She does know the most about the tall man." Ruth pointed, eyes narrowing "And she's always nearby when someone is taken. Lisa Pendleton is part of the whole affair!"

"Cop on! I'm not in cahoots with the kidnapper." The girl scoffed, still behaving strangely apathetic, despite the evidence of tears swelling in her eyes, "You'd think you were casting for Goonies."

"Goonies?" Adam laughed

" _Goonies_?!" John looked to Adam whose eyes soon reflected his own surprise. _Later,_ they jointly thought. They rather prowled closer to the girl, who was holding herself quite tightly. She was like a scared, cornered animal baring its teeth. Something became very apparent to the both of them.

"Oh Lisa..." Adam cooed, his demeanor shifted to a comforting one. John's expression softened.

"You're a soldier," John could see it in her eyes, "This thing that is stealing the children is your mission, and you have to do it alone."

The weight of her task was exposed in her shifting eyes, her lip trembled and she nearly cried. But anyone could see her quietly reminding herself of her own responsibility and she straightened her back and her composure. Ignoring the stares from the others, she looked only at John.

"First a child detective, then a child soldier?! I've had enough with this banter!" Professor Harding stamped his foot and turned to the Headmaster, "Will we dally with this foolhardy game whilst we allow Anita to be alone in whatever situation has taken her? Call the police and send out a search party!"

"Professor, I agree. Detectives, with all due respect, we will handle the situation at present." the Headmaster motioned the adults to follow, "Sister, please return these children to their bedrooms and do not allow them to emerge until- Lisa!"

The girl bolted for the window and with one arm, swung herself out. Sister Anne Mary screamed, and the Doctors ran to see what had transpired bellow. They caught sight of her sprinting across the courtyard, completely unharmed by the fall. In the distance, they saw the creepy figure of the kidnapper.

"She's running after our villain." the Doctor explained, leaning out the window.

"Running?! She fell three stories!" Sister Anne shrieked, looking terribly faint.

Ignoring her panicked state, the Doctors looked at one another, "A battle will ensue, one of us should hide the children someplace safe."

"Naturally, I should go wrangle our little solider before she gets herself killed." John patted Adam's back, then hopped onto the window sill. He chuckled, briefly, "Every once in a while I've wished I could be in two places at once but I couldn't on account of getting tangled in my own time line. This is terribly convenient."

~ _I didn't mean to allow two weeks 'r so to pass between updates. But, time flies when you're working full time. Please pardon the wait if it occurs again, and thank you for reading. I hope you are enjoying the story so far._

 _Sincerely,_

 _K._


	7. Chapter 7 The Rally

Chapter 7

The Rally

Chaos. Panic. Uncertainty. Alarm. Wide eyes looking up to adults who cannot hide that something is wrong. Bare feet pattering along cold wooden floors, confusing shivers of temperature with shivers of fear. Hushed voices. Shouting voices. Quaking voices. It's nighttime but we're awake. They said nothing was wrong but now they say there is.

"What's wrong?" they ask.

"To the basement," they answer.

They won't look them in the eyes. They herd them. Something is terribly wrong. _Are we going to die?_ Their hearts quietly ponder. They must be brave. They must be strong. Because they all suspect that tonight quite possibly is their last night alive.

Some of the children are crying. Some of the children need to be held. Others watch fearfully on. They won't say what's wrong and it makes them scared. They don't know what's happening.

Crowded, packed, and cut off from the rest of the house, everyone in the charity house huddles in the basement. For some, this brings back painful memories of the last war.

Although, there is one without fear. One without panic. One who speaks with diction and purpose. He instructs and he comforts. He arms the adults and has them stand guard at the doors. He is only a boy, but he isn't scared. The children watch him like he is a beacon in the darkness. Who is this peer? He who tells grown ups what to do, he who calmly leads them through the situation with assurance?

The children of charity did not tend to be secure in their own value. Constant in receiving pity or disgust. Persistently wondering the point in their own creation, if they were only empty hands that needed filling, empty mouths that needed food, empty hearts that needed caring. But tonight, they began to wonder if he could be brave, if he could command the darkness, why couldn't they?

Fear still banged on the doors of their hearts but they tuned it out. They wanted to survive this. They would stand brave and overcome this. Whatever they faced tonight, they would see the dawn of the morrow.


End file.
